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Tangent half-angle formula
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===Algebraic proofs=== Using the angle addition and subtraction formulae for both the sine and cosine one obtains <math display="block"> \begin{align} \sin (a+b) + \sin (a-b) &= 2 \sin a \cos b \\[15mu] \cos (a+b) + \cos (a-b) & = 2 \cos a \cos b\,. \end{align} </math> Setting <math display="inline">a= \tfrac12 (\eta+\theta)</math> and <math>b= \tfrac12 (\eta-\theta)</math> and substituting yields <math display="block"> \begin{align} \sin \eta + \sin \theta = 2 \sin \tfrac12(\eta+\theta) \, \cos \tfrac12(\eta-\theta) \\[15mu] \cos \eta + \cos \theta = 2 \cos\tfrac12(\eta+\theta) \, \cos\tfrac12(\eta-\theta)\,. \end{align} </math> Dividing the sum of sines by the sum of cosines gives <math display="block">\frac{\sin \eta + \sin \theta}{\cos \eta + \cos \theta} = \tan \tfrac12(\eta+\theta)\,.</math> Also, a similar calculation starting with <math>\sin (a+b) - \sin (a-b)</math> and <math>\cos (a+b) - \cos (a-b)</math> gives <math display="block">-\frac{\cos \eta - \cos \theta}{\sin \eta - \sin \theta} = \tan \tfrac12(\eta+\theta)\,.</math> Furthermore, using [[double-angle formulae]] and the Pythagorean identity <math display="inline">1 + \tan^2 \alpha = 1 \big/ \cos^2 \alpha</math> gives <math display="block"> \sin \alpha = 2\sin \tfrac12 \alpha \cos \tfrac12 \alpha = \frac{ 2 \sin \tfrac12 \alpha\, \cos \tfrac12 \alpha \Big/ \cos^2 \tfrac12 \alpha} {1 + \tan^2 \tfrac12 \alpha} = \frac{2\tan \tfrac12 \alpha}{1 + \tan^2 \tfrac12 \alpha} </math> <math display="block"> \cos \alpha = \cos^2 \tfrac12 \alpha - \sin^2 \tfrac12 \alpha = \frac{ \left(\cos^2 \tfrac12 \alpha - \sin^2 \tfrac12 \alpha\right) \Big/ \cos^2 \tfrac1 2 \alpha} { 1 + \tan^2 \tfrac12 \alpha} = \frac{1 - \tan^2 \tfrac12 \alpha}{1 + \tan^2 \tfrac12 \alpha}\,. </math> Taking the quotient of the formulae for sine and cosine yields <math display="block">\tan \alpha = \frac{2\tan \tfrac12 \alpha}{1 - \tan ^2 \tfrac12 \alpha}\,.</math>
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